Looped textile fabric



July 28, 1942. F. D. LEECH ETAL LOOPED TEXTILE FABRIC 4 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Dec 18, 1940 INVENTORS 'IZomnceJLeea/o ATTORNEY July 28, 1942. F.D. LEECH ET AL 2,290,976

LOOPED TEXTILE FABRIC Fil ed Dec. 18, 1940 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 0INVENTORS 4/ 4 fzorerzcefl.Leeciv ArZ/mjlfldaww J51 flw k ATTORNEY IJuly '28, 1 F. D. LEECH ETAL I 2,290,976

Loom) TEXTILE FABRIC Filed Dec. 18, 1940 i 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORSFlomnoe J. Lee 07 flrmrjiifldama ATTORNEY y 1942- F. D. LEECH ET AL2,290,976

- LOOPED TEXTILE FABRIC Filed Deg. 18, 1940 4Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORSIZOI MJ-LC/b Ari/011071715 ,Adama J5".

ATTORN EY Patented July 28, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT; ora -cg 12Claims.

This invention relates tonew and useful improvements in textile fabricsand more particularly to textile fabrics knitted or crocheted frompolychrome yarn.

Heretofore, fabrics have been knitted or crocheted byhand or by machinefrom a single polychrome yarn to form definite planned patterns but inall known instances the fabric was made up of stitches using the samelength of yarn. It was thought impossible to use stitches employingvarying lengths of yarn andstill obtain a, predetermined recognizablepattern.

In accordance with the present invention, a fabric will have a regular,recognizable and clear pattern as determined by. the designer, althoughmade up of mixed stitches which 'use' up vary-' color cycle of yarn, andevery time the color cycle is crocheted into the fabric it will beformed into 'the same sequence of stitches If it were attempted tocrochet with mixed stitches a fabric of polychrome yarn by relating thestitches to the edge of the fabric and not to; the yarn color cycle,then a spot of the color cycle would usually form in one partof thefabric stitches occupying a greater width than in another part of'thefabric. This would usually 'cause' an undesired irregularity of thecolor pattern of the fabric, which it is the object of the presentinvention to avoid.

The width occupied by a stitch is best measured in terms of afundamental stitch which is used in' starting the fabric, or in terms ofsome standard stitch such as a single crochet stitch, hereinafterdesignated as SC, or a double crochet stitch, hereinafter referred to asDC. One may have different color patterns' in different parts of thewidth or length of a fabric.

A row that is used to increase or decrease the number of stitches mightbe assumed to correspond to' the width of" either the following or thepreceding row. It will be considered to be of the width of the followingrow. This will be considered in more detail in the description'ofthe'a'ccompanying drawings, Figs. 1-11 of which illustratediagrammatically eleven embodiments of the invention.

First, we'shall'give a few definitions. A pattern unit isa sequence ofcertain colors of yarn formed into 'ce'rtaihfstitches, the repetition ofwhich forms a ea of fabric. Certain variations arealsb permiss'ihlethatdo not affect the general symmetry orj impression. Some pattern unitsmay run, to the edge of the area and so be incomplete. vllhenithe'ar'eareaches to the edge of the fabric, a pater unit may 11cm two courses,doubling back at the edge, often with slight variations in stitches."

'R the number of unit stitches in which one mayexpress the widthofpattern unit of the fabricj'where the stitches making up a pattern unitare of the same width, R will be equal to the number of stitches' thatare formed by a color cycle.

2D =the lateral displacement between corresponding' points of thepattern unit of the fabric in'alternate courses, 1. e.,' the phasedisplacement in alternate courses. It is considered positive when. it isin the direction of the displacement that would be caused by increasingthe width of the fabric.' In cases where the pattern continuesthroughout the width of the fabric, D= the differe nc'e between thewidth of the fabric and a multiple of R/Z. f

'2S n4D=the lateral displacement between two successive courses of thecenter of symmetry (if any) of the pattern unit of the; fabric, orbetween arbitrary points in the pattern unit, if the later isunsymmetrical. 28 is taken at the smallest possible value between twocourses where the course'above doubles back at the left to form thecourse below. 2Sis considered positive when the center of symmetry inthe course above is to the right of that in the course below. In casesWhere the pattern continues throughout the Width of the fabric, S=theposition of the center of symmetry (if any) of the pattern unit, orposition of an arbitrary point thereof, relative to'the left edge of thefabric.

'N'zthe greatest common divisor of R and 2D.

A' sequence of stitches of a fabric is illustrated in Fig. 1. This iscrocheted from a polychrome yarn having a'color cycle of red. blue, red,and white spots. 'I designates DC stitches, 2 puff stitches, 3 a beanstitch, and 4 a shell stitch. Each? of the equal divisions on the underside of the bottom line'represents a width that would be occupied by achain stitch, the width of the fabric fragment illustrated being equalto twentyfour chain stitches. Note that the two DCs and two chainstitches of the shell stitch are regarded as having a width equal toonly three chain stitches, although other DCs are equal to one chainstitch each. This is customary in crocheting shell stitches. Thesequence of stitches and their colors are as follows: one red DC, onetwostitch blue shell, one red DC, eleven white DCs, one red DC, one bluebean stitch, one red DC, one white DC, one white four DC puff stitch,one white DC, one white four DC puff stitch, and one white DC. The shellis made as follows: a blue DC,-two blue chain stitches and a second blueDC attached in the same place, as the first one. The bean stitch is ofthe kind that is approximately equivalent to two DCs made in the spaceof one. Complex stitches such as shell stitches or pufi stitches,picots, filet openings, etc., can be considered either as singleindependent stitches or as groups of stitches made in a certain orderand attached in certain ways to each other. There is no definite lawthat can be set down. The shells, puffs, and bean stitches in Figs. 1and 2 are considered as single stitches.

The stitches shown in Fig. 1 use up two complete color cycles of theyarn and constitute one unit of the fabric pattern. The complete fabricor an area of the fabric will be made up of repetitions of this unit,the pattern unit.

Figure 2 shows a fabric made up of the pattern unit of Fig. 1. There isa slight variation in certain of the pattern units as at 5, B, and II,etc., which will be explained below.

The fabric shown is crocheted to and fro, starting from a row of chainstitches or piece of fabric already made. A flat crocheted fabricnaturally starts with the bottom row, and later rows are added frombottom to top. The first stitch shown is a white chain stitch in theloop of a stitch of the previous row, and two more white chain stitches,the three chain stitches together being shown as (i. This is a variationfrom the pattern unit as described in connection with Fig. 1, where thecorresponding stitch is a white DC, the one just before the first pufistitch. The three chain stitches 6 occupy the same space and use thesame length of yarn as a DC, and are shown in the same manner as a DC.The second stitch shown is I, a white DC-four pufi which corresponds tothe first white puff stitch in Fig. 1. Then comes a White DC, 8, just asin Fig. l the white DC after the first puff stitch. Follow another puffand another white DC.

These stitches form an incomplete pattern unit, the last five stitchesof a pattern unit. Now another pattern unit starts. The first stitch ofthe new pattern unit is 9, a red DC. The pattern unit continues just asin Fig. 1, till the white DC, I0, is completed. The last two stitches ofthe pattern unit still remain to be done. They would ordinarily be awhite puff stitch followed by a white DC. The white puff stitch,however, is formed by making a white chain stitch in the loop of IE,followed by two more white chain stitches. This group is treatedtogether as the first DC of a four-DC puff stitch H which is indicatedin the same manner as a DC.

The second row continues from right to left with a white DC 52 whichcompletes the pattern unit. Stitches 9 to I2 inclusive are one patternunit, which doubles back and lies in two rows, and has a minor variationin the stitches used (at II). The row continues from right to left withstitch I3, a red DC. This starts a new pattern unit, which is perfectlyregular, exactly like Fig. 1, and ends with I4, a white DC. In the shellstitch which has the width of three chain stitches (see Fig; 1) threestitches are made one in each of the two DCs, and one around, not in,the two chain stitches. A new pattern unit starts with I5, a red DC,with which the second row ends.

In Fig. 1 the first red DC of the pattern unit is followed by a bluetwo-DC shell stitch, but in Fig. 2 the pattern unit is slightly variedat 5. After the red DC I5 comes a blue chain stitch in the loop of I5,and two more blue chain stitches. This group (three chain stitches) isshown as 5. Then come two blue chain stitches, shown only as a gapbetween 5 and the adjacent DC which are like a continuation of the threechain stitches of 5 but are not included in the designation 5. When a DCis later made in the top of 5, it is made in the third chain stitch.Then comes a blue DC in the top of M. Stitch 5, the two blue chainstitches, and the blue DC together use up the same length of yarn andoccupy the same space as a blue two-DC shell stitch. If 5 were a DCattached in the top of I4, the two would form a shell stitch. The reasonfor 5 being attached in the loop of I5 instead of the top of I4 is tokeep the edge of the fabric straight. The row continues from left toright, with a red DC, eleven white DCs, etc. White DC It (attachedaround the two chain stitches of the shell stitch of the second row)completes the pattern unit. The next pattern unit starts with a red DCFL and then a blue DC I8, attached so as to skip one stitch (I3) of thepreceding row, i. e., attached in the top of I2. So far this patternunit is entirely regular according to Fig. 1. The DC I8 appearsdifferent in the drawings from the corresponding DC that is part of theshell stitch in Fig. l, but the only difference is in the position ofthe adjacent blue DC I9. Then come two blue chain stitches, indicated inboth Figs. 1 and 2 as a gap between the adjacent DCs. There is aslightly variation in the second blue DC from a shell stitch, forinstead of being attached in the top of I2, making with I8 a shellstitch the blue DC I9 is attached in the top of II. The purpose of thisis to keep the edge of the fabric straight.

Unlike Fig. 1, where the shell stitch is followed by a red DC, it ishere followed by stitch 20 consisting of three red chain stitches, whichtogether occupy the same space and use the same length of yarn as a DC.The fourth row continues from right to left like the pattern unit inFig. 1. The white DC 28 is attached around the two chain stitches of thethird row. The pattern unit ends with a white DC, 2| and the nextpattern unit starts with a red DC, 22. DC 29 is made around the twochain stitches to the right of 5 and DC 2'! in the top of the last, orthird, chain stitch included as part of 5.

The fabric continues in this way, one pattern unit followingconsecutively after another, doubling back when the edge of the fabricis reached, alternate rows being crocheted in opposite directions, andthe pattern unit being modified slightly from that shown in Fig. l asnecessary at the edges to provide for doubling back from one row toanother, e. g., in the stitches marked 23, which are like 6 and 20. Thisexplains the structure of the fabric through the eighth row from thebottom. At the ninth row, starting with stitch 24, which is like stitch6, the whole pattern starts to repeat, 25 being like 5, and 26 like I9.

The pattern unit of Fig. 1 is repeated practically unchanged to form thefabric in Fig. 2, although an incomplete pattern unit (only the lastfive stitches of the pattern unit) is used in the first or bottom rowand several pattern units double back so that they lie. partly in eachof two rows. There will be minor variations in stitch structure which donot change the width occupied by any colored spot,,- nor the generalappearance and symmetryofthe pattern. In other words,

the pattern-is essentially what it would be if pattern units like Fig. 1were used as building blocks pattern is obtained, although the fabricuses several different kinds of stitches, some of which (the shellstitches) are of different width than others, andsome of which (the beanandpuff stitches) use different lengths of yarnthan others. In this,pattern R=24,-2D=6, 28:3 for the center of the shell stitch; The patternformed by the shell stitches is a broken diagonal pattern, i. e., apattern of broken diagonal (from upper right to lower left) stripes,with, some singlespots at intervals between these stripes. spots ascontrasted with the white form a figure like a V on its side, with a dotin the opening, this figure being repeated in a staggered or diaperspacing throughout the fabric.

Figure 3 shows a fabric made of apattern unit corresponding in width totwelve chain stitches. The pattern unit is as follows: A red puffstitch,five blue DCs, a red puff stitch, and five white DCs. The fabric shownis assumed to be added to a starting row or another fabric already made.

Starting at the lower right-hand corner ofv the drawing, the firststitch 30, is the last stitch of a pattern unit. Instead of being a DCas would be expected, it consists of a white chain stitch in the loop ofthe last stitch of the preceding row, and two more white chain stitches,all together occupying the same space and using the same length of yarnas a DC. In this and the follow-.

ing drawings, whenever a stitch that would be, according to, the patternunit, a DC, comes. at. the beginning of a row, it will be formed ofvthree chain stitches in the loop of the last stitch. After 30 come fromright to left a red puff stitch, five blue DCs, a red puff, and fivewhite DCs, all together forming a pattern unit.

A new pattern unit starts with 31, a red. puff stitch, followed by ablue DC, ending the row and three blue chain stitches starting the nextrow. Then, from left to right, three blue DCs, a red puff, five whiteDCs, completing a pattern unit. The next pattern unit starts with 32, ared puff stitchr Four blue DCs end the second row.

Three blue chain stitches start the third row and are followed by a redpuff stitch and five white DCs completing the pattern unit.

Every pattern unit is perfectly regular, except of course the threechain stitches instead of a DC at the start of each row. This isaninstance where the width of all stitches is the same, but the lengthof yarn used in the puff stitches is dif ferent from that used in theDCs. The pattern is a diagonal with R.=12, 2D=6, and 28:3. 2S ismeasured from the center of symmetry of the pattern unit. For thepurpose of finding the value of 28, one may either arbitrarily choosethe center of the white or blue spot (both give 28:3)

as one must if one considers the pattern unit we.

have described, or choose a different pattern unit, a symmetrical one.This could be the pattern unit indicated by the double-headed arrow 36,consisting of one-half a white DC, then two more white DCs, a red pufistitch, five blue DCs, an-

The red and blue other red puff stitch, and two and one-half more whiteDCs,. This hasa center of symmetry in the middle of the centralblue DC.Another pattern unit could be-chosen with the center of sym- Both givethevalue; 28:3.

Fig t shows a fabric having DC stitches and filet openings. The patternunit, for example 31 (which should be traced from right, to left)consists of four white DCs, a blue DC, a blue filet opening bridged bytwo chain stitches, another blueDC, and four white DCs. Each DC is ofawidthequal to one chain stitch and the filet openingsare of; a widthequal to two chain stitches. Except for havingthree chain stitchesinsteadof a'DC at thestart of each row, the pattern unit repeats exactlywithout variation.

The fabric shown is assumed to be added-to a starting rowor to a piece.of fabric already crocheted. The first stitch is a blue chain stitch inthe loop of-the last stitch of the preceding row, and two moreblue chainstitches, all together formingthestitch33 Next to the left come two bluechain'stitches made as a continuation of the three chain stitches of 33,but not included in the designation 33. A stitch is made in the top of33 will be made in the third chain stitch. The two chain stitchesfollowing 33 are not shown but they extend across the top of the openspace 34 shown with a cross. After the two blue chain stitches'come,from right to left, a blue DC, 35, then four white DCs, All the stitchesup to this point form the last part of a pattern unit. 33, the threechain stitches at the start of the row,

is a variation from the regular pattern unit, for

the first stitch of the pattern unit throughout most of the fabric is aDC. The first complete pattern unit is 31. The fabric continues with thepattern unit repeating without variation except that in starting eachnew row three chain stitches are used instead of a DC.

The pattern formed is a herringbone pattern of blue on a whiteground,with filet openings in the middle of the blue part of the pattern.R=12,- 2D=4. 2Sin4D=8 or 8. Taking S at the smallest possible value,28:0, the pattern unit being symmetrical.

Fig. 5 shows a somewhat similar fabric, also having DCs and filetopenings and having a pattern unit, but with more variations of thepattern unit.

A pattern unit is indicated by the bracketal (which should be followedfrom right to left), consists of eleven white DCs, a blue DC 39, a bluefilet opening 4 two chain stitches in width, a blue DC 4! a blue filetopening, four blue DCs, a blue filet opening, and a blue DC. The groupof four blue DCs, however, is interchanged with one of the single blueDCs in several of the pattern units, for example the pattern unitindicated by the double-headed arrow 62, as will be explained below.

The first stitch is a blue chain-stitch in the loop of the last stitchof the preceding row, and two more blue chain stitches, together shownas 43. This is the usual stitch used instead of a DC at the start of arow. Then from right to left come a blue DC 6.4, two blue chainstitches, then a blue DC 35 attached so as to skip a width of the.preceding row equal to two chain stitches. The gap left between 64 and45 is a filet opening, and is shown as a white square with a diagonalcross in it. After 45 comes another filet opening and then another blueDC. The stitches described so far form the last few stitches of apattern unit slightly modified from the regular pattern unit such as 38.The exact nature of this modification will be most easily understood bycomparing with the similar pattern unit 50 that will be described later.Next comes a regular pattern unit 38, then another lying partly in thefirst row and partly in the second, and regular except for the usualstitch 46 instead of a DC for the first stitch of a row. Then anotherpattern unit in which the regular pattern unit 38 has been modified sothat one DC 48 instead of four DCs is made after the second filetopening formed by the blue spot, and the equivalent of four DCs (i. e.,first two DCs, then three chain stitches together, 49, then another DC)are made after the third filet opening formed by the blue spot. Thepurpose of this variation from the regular pattern unit such as 38 is toprevent a filet opening falling at the edge of the fabric.

Next comes a pattern unit 42, in which the four DCs come at thebeginning of the blue spot, before the first filet opening, and a singleDC is used after the second filet opening. This variation is purelyesthetic, and unessential. The pattern unit could be made like 38 ifdesired.

Then comes a pattern unit 5| similar to the last one except, of course,the usual stitch 52 instead of a DC at the start of a row. The purposeof interchanging the positions of the four DCs and the singl DC is againto prevent a filet opening falling at the edge of the fabric.

The pattern unit 50 in the last two rows has the four DCs just after thefirst filet opening, but with the usual stitch instead of a DC at thestart of the last row. The stitches of the last row are exactly like thefirst row.

The variations in the pattern unit do not change th width occupied bythe blue spot of the yarn but only the relative positions of DCs andfilet openings all formed from, and included within, one single bluespot. The white spots form a broken diagonal pattern, and the blue DCsin combination with the filet openings also made from the blue yarn,form a broken diagonal pattern, which is not altered by the changes inthe relative position of the DCs and filet openings. The generalimpression and general symmetry of the fabric pattern is not changed.The purpose of these variations in the pattern unit is partly to preventfilet openings in rows one above the other, making for a heater lookingfabric.

The value of R in this fabric is 25, 2D=6, 2S=3 for the center of eitherthe blue or white spots. These R, D, and S values give a broken diagonalpattern for either the blue or the white spots. The pattern unit beingunsymmetrical, the center of the blue or the white spot is anarbitrarily chosen point in the pattern unit for determining the Svalue.

Fig. 6 shows another fabric containing filet openings and DCs but inwhich the spatial arrangement of various stitches is simply related bothto the edges of the fabric and to the color cycle of the yarn, since thefabric width is an exact multiple of the pattern unit. The pattern unitis illustrated at 54.

The first stitch is 53, the usual stitch used instead of a DC at thestart of a row. All pattern units are regular, except the variation ofthe stitch at the start of the row. The pattern consists of verticalstripes, with vertical rows of filet openings. R=23, 2D:0, and 23:0.

Fig. 7 shows a fabric somewhat similar to Fig. 1. The pattern unit, oneof which is indicated by the bracket 55, consists of two white DCs, ablue three-DC shell stitch, and two more white DCs. The shell stitchcorresponds to a width of five chain stitches and is made of a blue DC,a blue chain stitch, another blue DC, a second blue chain stitch, and athird blue DC, all three DCs attached in the same place, the center ofthe five-chain stitch width of the whol shell. A two-chain stitch widthof the preceding row is, therefore, skipped between the attachment ofthe shell and those of the white DCs at the two sides. Starting with thefirst stitch 55, which comprises three blue chain stitches instead of aDC stitch to start the row, the next two stitches are two white DCsbringing one to the bracket 55. These three stitches are the last partof a pattern unit, with the shell stitch modified. The modification willbe most easily made clear by comparison with the fourth row, startingwith stitch 51 and the seventh row, starting with stitch 58. These willbe explained below.

After the first three stitches comes the pattern unit 55. Then anotherpattern unit, completing the first row. The first stitch of the secondrow, 59, contains three chain stitches instead of a DC. It starts a newpattern unit which ends with the DC 69 followed by another pattern unitending with the DC 6 I.

The next two stitches are white DCs, the first two of a new patternunit. lhen, instead of a blue three-DC shell stitch, there is thefollowing variation: First, ending the second row, a blue DC. Then,starting the third row, three blue chain stitches designated together asstitch 62, then another chain stitch not included in 62, but shown as agap between 52 and 63. In making the succeeding, fourth row, the thirdchain just mentioned will be used as the top of stitch 52, the fourthchain, just mentioned, will be used as the next stitch in Width, and theDC 63 will be used as the third stitch. After the odd (the fourth) chainstitch comes the DC 63. The three stitches 62, the chain stitch, and B3,in that order, occupy a width of three chain stitches. Then comesanother chain stitch, shown as a gap one chain stitch in width between63 and 64. The whole group, from and including the last (blue) DC of thesecond row, then the stitch 62, then the chain stitch, then 53 andfinally the chain stitch (but not including the DC 64), together use upthe blue spot and are a variation of the shell stitch that is in theregular pattern unit. Together this group of stitches occupies fivechain stitches in width (one chain stitch in width in the second row,and four in th third row), as would be the regular shell stitch. Thepurpose of the variation is to preserve the straightness of the edge ofthe fabric. The DC 64 and the next DC 65 complete th pattern unit.

Then comes another pattern unit, ending with the DC 66.

The next pattern unit, starting with the white DC next after 66, has theshell stitch modified as follows: After the White DC 6'! comes a bluechain stitch between 61 and 68, then a blue DC 68, then another bluechain stitch between 68 and 69, then the blue DC 69, ending the row,then the three blue chain stitches 51, instead of a DC, starting thefourth row. The whole group, from and including the blue chain stitchbetween 67 and 68, and up to and including the three chain stitches 51,uses up the same length of yarn (the whole blue spot) and occupies thesame width (five chain stitches) as the shell stitch that is in theregular pattern unit. The

tern unit.

variation is for the purpose Ofkeeping the edge of the fabric straight.The stitch-51 and the next two white DCs, completing the pattern unit,are the same as th stitch "56 andits following two white DCsin thefirstrow. Soare the-stitch 58 and the following two White-DCs in the seventhrow. R, the width in chain stitches of the pattern unit, is 9. 2D=l3and'2S:0. This gives a-herringbone pattern.

Fig. 8 shows a fabric of SC stitches. All stitches are thesame width anduse equal lengths of yarn, but there'is a difference between them intheir places of attachment in the preceding row. Previous to thepresentinvention, fabrics have been knitted or crocheted from polychrome yarnto produce regular planned patterns, but all'stitches have been of equalwidth and used equal lengths of yarn,and been attached consecutively inthe consecutive stitches of the preceding row. In Figs. 1-7 the fabricsshown have stitches using unequal lengths of yarn and, except in Fig. 3,have stitches of unequal widths. Figs. 8 and-9 illustrate fabrics whichmay be considered as having allstitches of equal width and usingequallengths of yarn, but varying in their places of attachment. They-also,like thefabrics 'inthe'preceding drawings, are made to give regularrecognizable patterns by utilizing apattern unit.

The pattern unit in Fig. 8 (one ofwhich' is'in-. dicated by thedouble-headed arrow consists of a blue SC 85'and'four-whitescsiconsecutively attached'in consecutive SCs of the preceding row. Thenone-white SC 18' attachedso as to skip two SCs i6 and H of the precedingrow,3; and attached in the'thirdifl. This is "followed by threemore'white SCs in consecutive SCs of the preceding row, then one blueSCTI also attached consecutively (i. e.,'in"80),'and' three 'SCs 12,13,14 attached inasingle SC of the pre-IL- 0 ceding row. Thispattern unitinvolves a decreasing widthoffabric" at'the 1ine'82,"and"anincreasingwidth of fabric at the line '94. In other words, two stitchesare'dropped at line 82,

and two stitches are inserted at line 94. In the? drawings 18 representsa 'stitchattached in'the topof 19, H represents a stitch in the top of88,

and'B5 represents a stitch in the top of 81.

The first stitch 8!, consists of two white chain 10 Pattern unitBQ-difiers frompattern unit 10 .in

the following Way: Informing pattern unit I0, two stitches-Hi and l! ofthe preceding row, are dropped betweenthe-fith and 6th stitches of thepattern unit. -Inpattern .unit 89 onestitch is dropped between the 4thand 5thstitches, i. e., between 90- and-9|, and one stitch is 'droppedbetween the 6th and-7th stitches, i.- e., between 92 -and 93 one stitch,90, of the fiI SbIOW is dropped. Pattern units 89 and") are of the sametotal 0 width, and the same width for =each-spot, and

drop the samenumber of stitches-but in slightly different places in thepatter-n -unit. A further variation is in the use of two chain stitchesinstead of an SC, in the loop of 9linstead of in 95 the top of 9 I. Thisis the regular-way of doubling back in croch'eting-planned patterns withpolychrome yarn using SCs. 4

*Af-ter-pattern unitBB comes -a pattern unit ex- -actly like -10, thoughof coursegoi-ng from-right 0 'to'leftinsteadof from left to right, withstitch i6 corresponding-to 'l8fistitch 81 corresponding to 12 and stitch95 corresponding to 14; the last stitch of the-pattern unit.

After' stitch 95 cornes another pattern unit exactly "like 89, doubling-back at-the edge of the fabric,- "stitches'fii ands! corresponding --to9| 7 and '92',"andthe'-patterrr unit ending ,(going from 'left'to right)'just to the left of435. Then comes patternunit 'lfi; then-another like-86,-and-so on.

Ino'rdento determine R, it is necessaryto determine the width occupiedby each stitch. Along the line"82 and the twoedges of the fabric the"rowsaredecreasing in width going f-rom bottom to topfwhileinan'otherpart ofthewidth'of the rows, i. 'e.,' along the lines94, therows'are'institches in the loop of the last stitch "of the pre-ir: "row,or ofthe'width of three 'SCsywhich is'the ceding row. Then comes 83, awhite S0 attached so as to skip one SC width (presumably one stitch) ofthe preceding row, being attached in the second stitch from one inwhoseloop 8| was made. 83 corresponds to 84 in the'pattern unit 78, andthe following stitches included in the 'double-ended'arrow- 85 are thesame as in the pattern unit it. 86 forms the last partof a pat- It isslightly irregular and will be referred to again. Next comes thepatternunit 88, which is exactly like 70, then the pattern unitindicated by the double-headed arrow '86 are the same as in the patternunit 18. 86 forms the "last part of a pattern unit. It is slightlyirregular and will be referred to'again. Next comes 98) exactly likethe'first fourstitches of'10 and The next stitch9i is a white SCattached in the preceding row so as to skip one stitch; being attachedin the second stitch from the one in sidered to be ofthe width offour,-by comparison "withthe preceding row,- or-of thewidth of two '(orpossibly 'none) by'ccmparison withthelater row. It seems unreasonableto-say thatthese two stitches have no widthyandwe will consider 5 themof the width of two, "by comparisonwith the succeeding-rather than thepreceding-row.

Thetotal width of R then equals 13, whichis also the numberof SCs usedin forming the pattern "unit.

2D has-no value, since thedateral displacement *of the colored spotsVariesindifferent parts of i the width'of the row. -28 also-has novalue." Alternatively the group of threeSLsattached which '99 isattached. The next stitchySZ, is one (such as -12', -13, Mr-canbeconsidered to gether as a single stitch, comparable to a shell stitch,and the fabrics, like Figs. 1-7, have a pattern unit containing stitchesof unequal width, using unequal lengths of yarn.

It is the use of a pattern unit which makes it possible to design thefabric so as to have a regular pattern. In the usual chevron fabric, forexample, the number of stitches in the slope T5-93 is made equal to thenumber in the slope 75- -71. In the present fabric there is one lessstitch in 'I93. This in order that the pattern unit 8's and those likeit be essentially like HI and those like it. It should occupy the samewidth for each spot as Hi, and it should as closely as possibleduplicate It in sequence of stitches, and places of attachment. chevronfabric in the usual way, with the number of stitches in the two slopesequal, especially when the fabric is made wider (more points in thechevron) will illustrate the irregularity which results from designing afabric with mixed stitches without using a pattern unit. It is oneresult that might naturally be obtained if no pattern unit were used.

Fig. 9 shows a fabric of DCs and of stitches comprising a slip stitchand three chain stitches which occupy the same width and use the samelength of yarn as a DC. As in Fig. 8, there is a difference between thestitches in their places of attachment, for they are not attachedconsecutively in consecutive stitches of the preceding row.

The fabric is assumed to be crocheted from a starting row of chainstitches shown in the drawings, and made from the same polychrome yarn.

The pattern unit (one of which is formed by the stitches 99, I60, IEII)consists of a white slip stitch and three white chain stitches such asare shown together as the single stitch 99, then a white DC such as Hit,and then a blue DC such as IDI, all this group of stitches beingattached in the same place (i. e., around a stitch such as 98).Moreover, the attachments of all such groups of three stitches in allpattern units are in similar places in the pattern units of thepreceding row, that is, always around the first stitch of the patternunit of the preceding row. The width occupied by a pattern unit will beseen by comparison with the drawing to correspond to three chainstitches in the starting row. The pattern unit can therefore bedescribed as a white slip stitch and three white chain stitches, a whiteDC, and a blue DC, all attached in the same place and at a distanceequal to three chain stitches from the place of attachment of the lastpattern unit. When the attachment is made to a chain stitch of thestarting chain, it is made in the top of the stitch. When it is made toanother pattern unit it is made around the first stitch.

The fabric starts with a blue stitch at the lower left hand corner. Thencome eight white chain stitches (using up the white spot), then fourblue chain stitches (using up the blue spot). The first of the four blueones is H3 and the last I69. The pattern then begins with the firstpattern unit I06, I81, N18. The I06 which is slightly modified andconsists of three white chain stitches. I0! is a White DC, I98 a blue DCand all are attached in the chain stitch I09 of the starting row. Thesecond pattern unit is III), III, H2. H8 is a white slip stitch andthree white chain stitches, III is a white DC, H2 is a blue DC and allare attached in the third chain stitch H3, counting from the end of thestarting An attempt to make a' chain. The two chain stitches I09v and H3are at a distance from each other equal to three chain stitches, i. e.,there are two chain stitches between them. The pattern unit repeatsregularly till thepattern unit H4, H5, H6, has been made in the firstchain stitch of the starting chain and it may be considered as lyingpartly in the first row and partly in the second but it contains novariations from the regular pattern. The next pattern unit I I1, I I8, II9 is attached around the stitch WI] which is the first stitch of apattern unit in the first row. This place of attachment is irregular inits relation to the place of attachment of the preceding pattern unitH4, H5, H6. The next pattern unit after H1, H8, H9, is attached aroundI2I and is perfectly regular. The slight variation from the regular ruleof the place of attachment of H1, H8, H9 in relation to the place ofattachment of H4, H5, H6, is in order to make possible doubling back atthe edge of the fabric. It does not change the general symmetry orgeneral impression of the fabric from what it would be if the patternunits could be used as building blocks, and cut and place one aboveanother. Alternatively, if the variation at the edges is considered toaffect the general symmetry or impression of the pattern, the fabric maybe considered to have a patterned area in the middle composed of arepetition of the pattern unit, and at the edges to have a differentpattern,

The fabric of Fig. 9, with the same variation taking place at thebeginning of each row, is an ordinary three-DC side shell fabric.Alternatively, each pattern unit can be considered as a single sideshell stitch and the coloring of each stitch will be the same as that ofevery other stitch. Considered this way, therefore, the color patterncannot be planned by stitches. It is only by considering the threestitches of each group separately as combining to form a pattern unitthat the color effect can be planned.

In this fabric, R equals 3 (chain stitches), 2D equals 0, for thepattern units correspond exactly in lateral position in alternate rows,making the pattern a vertical or zig-zag, 2S is indeterminate, for thereis no clearly recognizable correspondence by which to measure thelateral displacement of any one colored spot in relation to the rowabove or below.

Fig. 10 shows a fabric having in each of two areas a pattern made up ofthe repetition of a pattern unit containing shell stitches and DCs, andhaving in other areas than these two a different arrangement ofstitches, e. g., a strip at each edge and one in the middle.

The pattern unit, one of which is indicated by the bracket I22, consistsof a white three-DC shell stitch, a White DC, a blue three-DCshellstitch, and another white DC. The shell stitches are each made upsimply of three DC stitches attached in the same place. The Width to beskipped between the attachment of each shell stitch and the attachmentsof the single DCs on each side of it is whatever width was skipped inmaking the first row. A suitable width would be two chain stitches ofWidth (assuming the fabric is crocheted from a starting chain). An areaincluded between the dotted lines I23 and I24, and another between thedotted lines I25 and I26, is made up entirely of repetitions of thispattern unit and when the pattern units run to the edge of the patternedarea of incomplete pattern units as indicated by the bracket I21.

The remaining areas, the tWo edges of the fabgame ric and the areabetween dotted line's'l 24" and I25, are at least partly notcomposedofpattern units.

The exact stitch structure of' the fabric is as follows: the firststitch I28 is three blue chain stitches made in the top of a stitch'of'the preceding row. Then come two blue DCs and one white DC, the laststitch of a pattern unit, in the tops'of consecutive stitches of thepreceding row. The new pattern unit I22 starts with a white three-DCshell stitch, attached in the preceding row so as to skip two chainstitches of width of the preceding row. Then a white DC attached so asto skip two more chain stitches of width of the preceding row, followedby another similar shell stitch of blue, and finally another similarwhite DC completes the pattern unit I22. The next stitch is a similarwhite shell I29, part of which falls within the area I 23I24, beginningan incomplete pattern unit like I21 part of which falls outside the areaI23I24. After I29 comes a white DC, attached so as to skip two chainstitches of width of the preceding row, then three blue DCs inconsecutive one-chain stitch widths of the preceding row. Within thearea II26, there will be a white DC which is an incomplete pattern unitlike I27. A regular pattern unit I30 follows, and another incompletepattern unit I3I, then, outside the area I25I26, from I26 to the edge ofthe fabric, three blue DCs in consecutive one-chain stitch widths of thepreceding row, the

three blue DCs completing the first row of the fabric.

The second row starts with three white chain stitches I32 in the loop ofthe last DC of the preceding row followed by a white shell stitchattached so as to skip two DCs of the preceding row. This shell stitchfalls partly within the area I25I26 which, together with the followingstitches up to and including I33, forms an incomplete pattern unit likeI21. The fabric continues in this way, with shell stitches and DCs asindicated in the drawings, except that the first stitch of each rowconsists of three chain stitches.

Because the two areas I 23-424, and I25I26 are made up of repetitions ofthe pattern unit or when the pattern units run to the edges of theseareas, of incomplete pattern units, it has been possible to make aregular diagonal pattern within these areas. R equals 12 chain stitchesin width, 2D equals 6, 2S equals 3 for the center of either the white orthe blue spot. If desired, the pattern unit can be chosen as blue shellstitch, 1 white DC, 1 white shell stitch, another white DC, and another/2 blue shell stitch, and 2S equals 3 for the center of symmetry.

Fig. 11 shows a portion of a tubular knitted fabric having a patternunit. The stitches shown as squares are knitting stitches. The stitchesshown as squares with circles in them are special (as will be describedbelow) stitches. All these stitches are of the same width, but thespecial stitches use a different length of yarn than the others. Thefabric is knitted spirally from the bottom up and, therefore, the rowsgo in the same direction, from right to left, a blue knitting stitch I33 being the first stitch shown.

To make the special stitch, knit two stitches in next stitch ofpreceding row, knitting one stitch on front thread and one stitch onback thread of stitch without slipping the said stitch of the precedingrow off the needle, thus making two loops on the righthand needle. Nowslip the said loop of the preceding row off the needle on which it waswhich we will call the left-hand needle. Now pass the first-made of thetwo loops on the right-hand needle over'the last-madeof the two loops onthe right-hand needle and slip this first loop off the needle, it nowbeing held by the last-made loop. The whole structure of yarn nowholding the loop of the preceding row, and held by the last loop nowonthe right-hand needle, comprises the special stitch the last loop nowon the right-hand needle being included as part of the special stitch.This special stitch occupies the same space in the fabric as a regularknitting stitch, but uses a greater length of yarn.

The pattern unit is indicated by the bracket I35 and consists of twowhite knitting stitches, a blue knitting stitch, a blue special stitch,and another blue knitting stitch. All the pattern unit throughout, andhaving a circumference equal to an exact multiple of pattern units, lessthe width of just one knitting stitch in the whole circumference, willgive the pattern shown.

In the claims, the fabrics formed will be described as looped and themethod of forming the fabric as looping to define knitted and crochetedfabrics and the method of knitting and crocheting as distinguished fromwoven fabrics and the method of weaving.

What is claimed is:

1. A fabric looped from a single polychrome yarn made up of mixedstitches using up varying lengths of yarn, and which has a predeterminedrecognizable color pattern.

2. A fabric looped from a single polychrome yarn made up of mixedstitches of varying widths, and which has a predetermined recognizablecolor pattern.

3. A fabric looped from a single polychrome I yarn made up of mixedstitches of varying widths and using up varying lengths of yarn, andwhich ha a predetermined recognizable color pattern.

4. A fabric according to claim 1, and in which each color cycle of theyarn is formed into the same sequence of stitches.

5. A fabric looped from a single polychrome yarn and having apredetermined recognizable color pattern and in which some but less thanall the stitches in a row are interlinked with stitches of thesucceeding row.

6. A fabric looped from a single polychrome yarn and having apredetermined recognizable color pattern, and in which a plurality oftitches in one row are attached to a single stitch of the preceding row.

7. A fabric looped from polychrome yarn and made up of a plurality ofsubstantially like pattern units containing mixed stitches.

8. A fabric looped from polychrome yarn, and made up of a plurality ofsubstantially like pattern units containing stitches attached other thanone in each consecutive stitch of the preceding rows.

9. A fabric looped from polychrome yarn, and made up of a plurality ofsubstantially like pattern units containing a plurality of stitchesattached in a single stitch of the preceding rows.

10. The method of looping a fabric from polychrome yarn with mixedstitches but having a predetermined recognizable color pattern, whichcomprises the following steps: predetermining the color of the yarn ofwhich each stitch will be formed, and relating the sequence of stitchesto the yarn color cycle.

11. The method of looping a fabric from polychrome yarn with mixedstitches but having a predetermined recognizable color pattern, whichcomprises the following steps: predetermining the color of the yarn ofwhich each stitch will be formed, relating the sequence of stitches tothe yarn color cycle, and predetermining in each row of stitches theposition relative to the edge of the fabric of the center of symmetry ofthe sequence of colored stitches repeated throughout the Width of thefabric.

12. The method of looping a fabric from po1y chrome yarn with mixedstitches but having a predetermined recognizable color pattern, whichcomprises the following steps: predetermining 10 the color of the yarnof which each stitch will be formed, relating the sequence of stitchesto the yarn color cycle, and predetermining in each row of stitches theposition relative to the edge of the fabric of an arbitrary point in thesequence of colored stitches repeated throughout the width of thefabric.

FLORENCE D. LEECH.

ARTHUR H. ADAMS, JR.

